Free school meals privacy notice
Who are we and what do we do
Free school meals is part of Gateshead Council. We are based at the Civic Centre, Gateshead. We provide services for calculating entitlement to free school meals.
This privacy notice provides specific information about how we process your personal data. It is an addition to the information contained in our corporate privacy notice and on conjunction with the Housing Benefit and Council Tax .
What type of information is collected about you
- name
- address
- date of birth
- child's name
- child's date of birth
- child's school
- email address
- telephone number
- National Insurance (NI) number
- immigration status
- earned income details
- benefits and allowances details
How we collect information about you
We collect information about you from various sources to ensure that we meet your needs, including:
- an application for free school meals, either online or a paper form or an application over the phone
- an application for Housing Benefit and/or Council tax Support, either online, a paper application or a claim made through the Department for Works and Pensions for Universal Credit
- through the Department for Education's Eligibility Checking Service
- reusing data held to establish other potential welfare support
Why we need your information
Our purpose for collecting personal information is to calculate entitlement to free school meals.
The lawful basis for our processing is:
- legal obligation to which the data controller is subject under regulations
- task in the public interest
Our lawful basis for processing of sensitive personal data is:
- Employment, social security and social protection (if authorised by law)
The legislation the service is obliged to comply with includes:
- Education Act 1996 section 512
- School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2018
Who your information can be shared with
Our corporate privacy notice explains information sharing the Council carries out. This sharing fulfils statutory obligations, legal requirements and service delivery. Free school meals can share your information with:
- other organisations that handle public funds and assist in the processing of benefits
- educational establishments if you are eligible for free school meals
- educational establishments if the application was sent in by the education establishment on your behalf
Our lawful basis for this sharing is task in the public interest and your consent is not required.
If we wish to share your information with other council services or third parties for purposes outside of those listed above, we will ask your permission.
How long we will keep your information
We keep your information for as long as we need to provide services to you. We may also need to keep your information in accordance with legal or other obligations. Where we have no need to keep your data it will be securely destroyed. We keep a Record of Processing Activity (a requirement under the GDPR). This sets out the specific retention periods applicable in different circumstances. For more information please contact benefit enquiries via email.
Where your information is held
We hold personal information in secure electronic systems on Gateshead council servers.
How you can update your information
Our delivery of efficient services depends on the accuracy of your information.
Please inform us of any changes to the following:
- email address
- personal circumstances
- postal address
- any of the other information we hold
Please contact: benefitenquiries@gateshead.gov.uk
Your information rights
Please see the relevant section of our corporate privacy notice.
Marketing and e-newsletters
Please see our email marketing privacy notice.
Business intelligence, profiling and automated-decision making
Please see the relevant section of our corporate privacy notice.
Protecting your information
Please see the relevant section of our corporate privacy notice.
Data Protection Officer
Data Protection Officer
Civic Centre
Regent Street
Gateshead
NE8 1HH
0191 433 3000
Information Commissioner's Office
The Information Commissioner is the UK's independent body for upholding information rights. Visit their website (opens new window) to find out more about your rights under Data Protection law, and what to expect from us.
For privacy practices or data protection rights concerns, contact the Information Commissioner's Office:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745
casework@ico.org.uk